FDA: Counterfeit Medicine
Counterfeit (fake or falsified) medicines may be harmful to your health because while being passed off as authentic, may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too much, too little or no active ingredient at all or contain other harmful ingredients. The U.S. drug supply is among the safest in the world. The U.S. has federal and […]
CDC: Family Health History and Cancer
KEY POINTS Overview Your family health history is a record of diseases and conditions that run in your family. Your family members may share habits, environments, and changes in certain genes that can affect your risk of getting cancer. My Family Health Portrait: Cancer app CDC’s My Family Health Portrait: Cancer app helps you collect your family’s […]
FDA: Managing the Benefits and Risks of Medicines
For many people, taking medication is a regular part of their daily routine, and these medicines are relied upon to treat disease and improve health. Although medicines can make you feel better and help you get well, it’s important to know that all medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter, have risks as well as benefits. The […]
CDC: What Causes Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers
KEY POINTS Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer About 5% to 10% of breast cancers and 10% to 15% of ovarian cancers are hereditary. Hereditary cancer means cancer runs in your family. It could be caused by a change in certain genes that you inherited from your mother or father. Genes act as instructions and contain […]
FDA: Drug Review Process – Ensuring Drugs Are Safe and Effective
The path a drug travels from a lab to your medicine cabinet is usually long, and every drug takes a unique route. Often, a drug is developed to treat a specific disease. An important use of a drug may also be discovered by accident. For example, Retrovir (zidovudine, also known as AZT) was first studied […]
CDC: People at Increased Risk for BRCA Gene Mutations
KEY POINTS Overview Your personal and family cancer history may suggest that you have a higher risk for a BRCA gene mutation. Family history You may be at increased risk for a BRCA gene mutation if your family history includes: Learn how to collect your family history of cancer. Personal history You may have a higher […]
FDA: How Drugs are Developed and Approved
The mission of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is to ensure that drugs marketed in this country are safe and effective. CDER does not test drugs, although the Center’s Office of Testing and Research does conduct limited research in the areas of drug quality, safety, and effectiveness. CDER is the largest of […]
CDC: About Cascade Testing
KEY POINTS Overview Many people do not know they have a genetic condition until symptoms of that condition begin to affect their lives. By then, treatments might be less likely to work. Cascade testing offers one way of finding people with genetic conditions before they show symptoms, allowing them to take steps to prevent disease […]
FDA: Opioid Medications
Prescription opioids are powerful pain-reducing medications that include oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, among others, and have both benefits as well as potentially serious risks. However, too many Americans have been impacted by the serious harms associated with these medications, and despite ongoing efforts, the scope of the opioid crisis continues to grow. One of the […]
CDC: Precision Health – Predict and Prevent Disease
KEY POINTS What it is You might have heard the terms “precision medicine” and “precision health” and wondered how they relate to you. Precision medicine, also called personalized medicine, helps your healthcare provider find your unique disease risks and treatments that will work best for you. Precision health is broader—it includes precision medicine but also […]